Shell and accessory case for skeet and trapshooters



g- 1969 w. R. HARRIS 3,459,327

SHELL AND ACCESSORY CASE FOR SKEET AND TRAPSHOOTERS Filed March 7, 1968mveu'ron WILLIAM R. HARRIS ATTORN YS United States Patent 3,459,327SHELL AND ACCESSORY CASE FOR SKEET AND TRAPSHOOTERS William R. Harris,26964 Davison Ave., Detroit, Mich. 48239 Filed Mar. 7, 1968, Ser. No.711,283 Int. Cl. B6511 1/24, 1/36, 85/54 US. Cl. 220-20 2 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A main open-topped rectangular box isprovided with three vertical partitions, the outermost two of which arespaced apart from one another by distances slightly greater than thestandard length of empty shotgun shells, while the middle partition isspaced apart from the two outermost partitions by distances slightlygreater than the width of the standard shotgun shell box containingtwenty-five shells. Hinged at their top edges to the longer oppositeupper edges of the box are two hollow shallow half-covers or auxiliaryboxes each provided with a hinged lid with catches, for the purpose ofholding shooters accessories, such as gloves, shooting glasses, scorecards, ear plugs, and so forth. Each of these hollow half-covers swingsthrough an angle of 180 degrees and when swung inward and downward,extends over one-half of the top of the box. These half-covers areprovided with locking latches and carrying handles and, when swungoutward, upward and then downward, come to rest with their hinged sidesengaging the adjacent sides of the box, without the need forswing-limiting chains or slotted pivoted stop arms.

Skeet and trapshooters have many articles which they must carry withthem to and from meets, and hitherto have carried these articles,including their loaded shells and empty shells in different bags orother containers. Such shooters often use shotguns of different calibersfor different events in the same days matches, and also require holdersnot only for loaded shells but also for empty shells. Most skeet andtrap shooters today reload their empty shells because of the greatlyincreased cost of factory-loaded shells during the past few years.Presently, while cases are available for new shells, they ordinarily donot accommodate these shells in their original packages or boxes butthey have to be transferred to small aluminum boxes or drawers. No knowncase also provides space for empty shells which have been fired.Furthermore, the shooter also requires a holder for his program ofevents, his score cards, shooting glasses, ear plugs, broken shellextractors and other accessories. The present case provides space forall of these items.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the shell and accessory case for skeetand trapshooters, according to one form of the invention, shown in itsclosed and locked position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the case of FIG- URE 1, shown with itshollow half-covers swung outward in opposite directions to open the box;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but with the lids of the hollowhalf-covers unlatched and swung open to obtain access to thecompartments within these covers;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal section through the box, taken along the line4-4 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-section through one of the hollowhalf-covers, taken along the line 5-5 in FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the case includes a main rectangularopen-topped box 12 with two outer ice partitions 14 spaced apart fromthe end walls 15 the exact length of the shells, and an inner partition16 spaced apart from the outer partitions 14 in spaced parallelrelationship therewith to accommodate shell boxes inserted sidewise inthe slightly narrower central compartments 18. The end compartments 20are of widths sufficient to accommodate the empty shells which have beenfired, which are stacked horizontally therein in longitudinal directions(crosswise of the compartments 20) like cordwood.

Hinged at 22 at their top edges to the tops of the opposite side walls21 of the main box 12 are two auxiliary boxes or half-covers 24 withlids 26 also hinged thereto along hinge lines 28 and held in closedposition by latch hooks 30. These auxiliary boxes or half-covers 24 havecompartments 32 therein to hold the accessories mentioned above. Eachhalf-cover 24 is of exactly half the width of the main box 12 so thatwhen they are swung upward and inward toward the bottom wall 34 of themain box 12, they come down upon the top of the main box 12 side by sideto form a cover therefor (FIGURE 1). Each of the auxiliary boxes orhalf-covers 24 consists of side Walls 38 (FIGURE 5), end walls 40 and abottom wall 42 enclosing their respective accessory compartments 32.

On their bottom walls 42, the auxiliary boxes 24 are provided withsuitcase handles 44 disposed in spaced parallel relationship which inthe top closure position of the boxes 24 (FIGURE 1) enable the entirecase 10 to be conveniently carried to and from the shooting grounds andprevent the case 10 from swinging sidewise pendulously While being socarried. Latches 46 are provided for locking the auxiliary boxes orhalf-covers 24 in their closed positions on top of the main box 12.

The use of the shell and accessory case 10 has been indicated in partabove in connection with the description thereof. Before starting outfrom his home or oflice, the shooter loads the central compartments 18with boxes of loaded shells, each of these compartments 18 holding fourstandard boxes containing twenty-five shells each, with the boxesstanding on end in the compartments 18. He also packs theabove-mentioned accessories into the accessory compartments 32 in thehalf-covers or auxiliary boxes 24, and closes and locks the lids 26thereof by the catches 30. He then swings the half-covers 24 toward oneanother and downward on top of the main box 12, closing the compartments18 and 20 thereof, and fastens the latches 46.

On his arrival at the shooting grounds or range, the shooter opens thehalf-covers 24 to obtain and use his accessories and also removes a boxof loaded shells from one of the central compartments 18. After he hasshot his match, he packs the empty shells in the end compartments 20,stacking them like cordwood with their axes arranged lengthwise of themain box 12. If he is shooting in matches requiring diiferent calibersof shotguns and shells, he lifts out the appropriate boxes thereof fromone of the compartments 18 and after shooting, stacks the empty shellsin one of the end compartments 20. At the end of shooting, he repackshis accessories, such as shooting glasses, gloves, score cards and earplugs into the auxiliary compartments 32, closes their respective lids26, locks them by the catches 30, then swings the half-covers orauxiliary boxes 24 upward and inward toward one another until they againclose the top of the main box 12, whereupon he again locks the latches46 and the case 10 is ready to be carried to the automobile by thehandles 44. For matches involving the use of a smaller number of shells,the invention contemplates making the main box 12 of half the depthshown in the drawing and accommodating four boxes of loaded shellsinstead of eight.

In practice, it is found convenient to make the end or outercompartments three inches in width and the central or inner compartments2% inches or 2% inches in width to accommodate the loaded shell boxes.

I claim:

1. A shell and accessory case for skeet and trapshooters, comprising amain rectangular open-topped box having a plurality of verticalpartitions spaced apart from one another in parallel relationship byseparations sufiicient to accommodate loaded shotgun shell boxes andempty shotgun shells respectively,

a pair of shallow auxiliary boxes hinged at their top edges to oppositetop edges of said main box and swingable 180 degrees from horizontalmain-boxclosing positions in side-to-side abutting relationship tohorizontal main-box-opening positions remote from one another with thehinged sides of said auxiliary boxes engaging the adjacent sides andwith the tops of said auxiliary boxes substantially level with the topof said main box,

each auxiliary box having a length substantially equal to the length ofsaid top edges of said main box and having a width equal tosubstantially half the width of said main box,

each auxiliary box having an auxiliary compartment therein and having aclosure lid movably secured to a wall thereof in closing relationship tosaid compartment,

and means for locking said auxiliary boxes to one another in theirinwardly-swung positions on top of said main box 2. A shell andaccessory case, according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary boxes havebottom walls and wherein two carrying handles are secured one each tosaid bottom walls in spaced paraller relationship.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,055,657 9/1936 Gordon 206l22,501,270 3/1950 Fleming 20616 2,558,124 6/1951 Burden. 3,317,097 5/1967Giodrano 20616 X GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2063,16; 220-22

